UPDATE 9:00 PM: Lil Nas X posted a more extensive comment on the two videos' similarities, saying he didn’t realize they would end up resembling each other so much:
I want to show love to @fkatwigs & @andrewthomashuang ! the ‘cellophane’ visual is a masterpiece. i was not aware that the visual would serve as a major inspiration for those who worked on the effects of my video. i want to say thank u to twigs for calling me and informing me about the similarities between the two videos, as i was not aware they were so close. was only excited for the video to come out. i understand how hard you worked to bring this visual to life. you deserve so much more love and praise.
FKA twigs later posted a note of her own, thanking Lil Nas for acknowledging the influence:
thank you @lilnasx for our gentle honest conversations and for acknowledging the inspiration cellophane gave you and your creative team in creating your iconic video! i think what you have done is amazing and i fully support your expression and bravery in pushing culture forward for the queer community. legend status.
She also encouraged her followers to donate to the SWARM Hardship Fund in support of sex workers.
See below for original story.
With Lil Nas X’s “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” video making waves and sparking backlash amongst conservatives, another controversy has flown relatively under the radar. Soon after the video’s release, many fans pointed to visual similarities between it and FKA twigs‘ 2019 video for “cellophane.” In a series of tweets posted over the weekend, “cellophane” director Andrew Thomas Huang spoke out about the two videos and the “climate of scarcity” that pits minority artists against each other.
He first shared a TikTok comparing shots from the videos side by side, writing “take me off your mood board or hire me.”
Huang later laid out his thoughts more fully on Twitter, saying Lil Nas X’s label had one point reached out to him about the video and later hired “cellophane” choreographer Kelly Yvonne. He noted the “years of work” that went into the creation of “cellophane” and his disappointment in seeing what he viewed as a derivative use of his creation:
Lil Nas X told Time that “cellophane” was one of the video’s inspirations in an interview conducted before Huang’s Twitter thread, saying “I wanted to see some things people have done in music videos with the pole—and I felt like twigs did a really amazing job at that. I wanted to do my own take on it.”
A rep declined to comment further on the issue to Time after Huang spoke out. Lil Nas X co-directed the video with Tanu Muino, and also noted that part of his video storyboard inspiration came from SpongeBob SquarePants:
“I think twigs and Lil Nas are both doing important work,” Huang told Time. “The question is, who benefits from their work? The answer is record labels. The anger it stokes between artists just increases divisions between underrepresented artists. So I think there’s something larger and systemic here at work.”
“cellophane” served as the lead single from twigs' sophomore album, MAGDALENE. The video showcased pole-dancing skills that she had spent a full year perfecting. It was nominated for Best Music Video at the 2020 Grammy Awards, where it lost to Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.”
FKA twigs has not publicly commented on the videos' similarities.
Read all the lyrics to FKA twigs' “cellophane” and Lil Nas X’s “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” on Genius now.
